We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zeneyda & Jamie Jackson & Olliver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zeneyda & Jamie below.

Zeneyda & Jamie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I was a young mom. I had my daughter Zeneyda at the age of 15. Struggle has always been a part of our story. Even though I was young, I always had drive. I came from a family of entrepreneurs. With my pregnancy, came a lot of negativity. “You are ruining your life”, “You won’t be successful”, “You won’t finish school”. These comments actually empowered me and gave me the willpower to prove everyone wrong….and I did exactly that. I finished high school in the top 25% of my class and went on to graduate from the University of Houston with my kid on my side. I had hustle. I always did. I went to school, I worked and I always made a way. I’ve worked in the insurance industry since 2006. I made a good living for myself and my children, but I still felt unfulfilled and knew I wanted to leave a legacy for my kids. In 2018, that would come into fruition and Kinky Lee Hair Company was born.

My daughter and I have always struggled with our hair. It was big and curly and hard to manage. We spent so much money on trying different products which led me to the idea of just creating our own hair line. We created our LLC. We started researching local manufacturers to create the products. We came up with logo ideas. We had our vision. There was one big problem though….MONEY. In 2018, Zeneyda still had one year of college left. She was a full time student and worked part time. I was a single mom of 2. I was paying my daughters way through college and just trying to make it. We pulled our finances together and started small. Ordering the minimum amount of products, creating the website ourselves and being the models for our photoshoots. It was risk. It was a lot of sacrifice. Even though I needed the extra money, I knew this was going to be a risk and sacrifice that would benefit us in the long run. Here we are 4 years later and our company continues to grow. The best part is, I get to do it with my best friend….my daughter..

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Our business is a natural hair care business. We started with the women’s line and recently added a men’s line. We plan on coming out with a skin care line early next year and expanding on both of the current lines. Our products are hand crafted from a local manufacturer and are made with natural ingredients. We pride ourselves in the effectiveness of our products. They literally sell themselves. Most of our customer base are repeat customers. Once they try it, they never go back to their old products or continue to search for products that work. We also practice what we preach….we only use our own products in our own hair. Our products also work on all types of curly hair and all ethnicities. From the girl with the beach waves to the tightest 4c curl. Our men’s line has something for all my bearded guys and a couple pomades that work for all hair types. Whether you are trying to work on your waves or spike your hair, we have something for it!

We come from a multi-cultural family. We literally have almost every race in our family. We wanted to make sure that our products could cater to every curly hair type. The beauty of using natural ingredients is that it is healthy for all hair types and gives you the best results. I love to see all the different faces of everyone that uses our line. I feel like it is something that sets us apart.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Initially, we thought social media was going to be our best source. Although we do generate sales from social media, it has not compared to word of mouth and being in local salons/barbershops. We are currently in 2 barbershops and one salon. When these shops use our products on their clients, it is usually an instant sale. The proof is in the pudding. When you use it, you will love it or someone who uses it will rave about it. That’s how we get most of our new clients.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

No matter if you are selling a product or a service, the best way to build your reputation is SERVICE. We pride ourselves on service. If there is an issue, FIX IT. When we get an order, send it immediately. When we get asked questions about our products, we are knowledgeable about it. Great service is what drives our reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kinkyleehairco.com
• Instagram: @kinkyleehairco
• Facebook: Kinky Lee Hair Company